Australia and New Zealand Banking Group was founded over 170 years ago as the Bank of Australasia, and now operates in 32 markets globally, including Australia, New Zealand, Asia, Pacific, Europe, America and the Middle East. It’s a behemoth, with assets of AU$531.74 billion as of 2010, and its shares and related securities are listed on the Australian and New Zealand exchanges – but it values corporate responsibility too, getting ranked the world’s most sustainable bank by the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) for the fourth consecutive year in 2010. Local it may not be, but its 8 million customers worldwide are served by 48,000 employees. ANZ Bank offers a range of credit cards to suit different types of customer – use the comparison table to check out all the deals and find the card that’s right for you. Read below for more details about ANZ’s impressive history and current array of products and services.

Q&As about ANZ Credit Cards from customers

Q: What’s so good about ANZ cards?

ANZ’s sheer size means customers are never too far away from a branch, where dedicated staff can tailor services to individual needs. It also offers comprehensive account access online and via mobile. Its selection of credit cards is large and varied, offering everything from no annual fees to lucrative rewards programs.

Q: If I apply for a card from ANZ, do I need to change who I bank with?

No. You are only applying for a credit card from ANZ. This is completely separate from any other bank account you may have. You do not need to switch bank.

Q: How big is ANZ’s branch network?

ANZ has branches across Australia, offering accessible banking to all its customers. At each branch personal bankers offer complementary advisory service called A-Z Review, helping to tailor personal banking services to meet specific customer requirements. Other specialists available include financial planners, home and investment lending managers, small business specialists and retirement banking specialists. Customers can call their local branch to arrange an appointment, or simply drop into a branch during opening hours.

ANZ Phone Banking offers customers banking services anytime of the day or night. Once registered, customers have account access 24/7 using a touch-tone phone. Following voice prompts you can check balances and transfers, transfer money to linked accounts, pay bills, change your address details and order statements and new chequebooks.

Q: Do ANZ have a rewards program or are any of their cards linked to a rewards program?

ANZ offers customers a selection of loyalty rewards schemes with a choice of ANZ Frequent Flyer rewards, and ANZ Rewards.

ANZ Frequent Flyer Rewards allows you to accumulate points on everyday purchases, and these points are automatically credited to your Qantas Frequent Flyer account. More points are gained by shopping with ANZ’s Bonus Partners. Your frequent flyer points can be redeemed for flights, travel and store rewards, vouchers, entertainment, special offers and more.

ANZ Rewards is a flexible rewards scheme that offers a variety of ways to earn points, and many opportunities to generate bonus points by shopping with ANZ’s Bonus Partners. Cardholders earn points on everyday purchases (excluding cash equivalent transactions), and then redeem these points for a large choice of rewards including retail vouchers, gift cards, merchandise, travel, entertainment and more.

Q: What is ANZ designmycard?

This service allows you to personalise any ANZ First, or ANZ Balance Visa card with an image of your choice. When you apply for the card you may upload any photo, design or logo, or select an image from ANZ’s online library, and this will used to decorate your new credit card.

Q: How long have they been issuing cards?

ANZ started life in London in 1835 as the Bank of Australasia when it was created under a Royal Charter, opening a branch in Sydney in the same year. In 1838 the bank opened a branch in Melbourne, the city where its headquarters are located today. In 1837 the Union Bank Australia was established as an Anglo-Australian financial institution. Another Anglo-Australian bank, the English, Scottish and Australian Bank (ES&A), was created in 1852.

The Bank of Australasia merged with the Union Bank of Australia in 1951 to create ANZ Bank, and extended operations around the world. In 1970, ANZ merged with ES&A to form the current organisation, Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited. This was the biggest merger in Australian banking history at the time, and ANZ continued to expand, merging several smaller banks including Bank of Adelaide in 1979, Grindlays Bank in 1984 and PostBank, purchased from New Zealand Government 1989. In 2003 ANZ acquired the National Bank of New Zealand. In 2009 ANZ officially gained full ownership of ING Australia, making the group one of the biggest insurance companies in the country. In 2010 ANZ took over the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) interests in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore and Indonesia. Today ANZ is the fourth largest bank in Australia and the largest bank in New Zealand. With headquarters in Melbourne, offices across Australia and New Zealand, it is also one of the leading Australian banks in the Asia-Pacific region.

ANZ offers both personal and business credit cards with different features, including low annual fees, low balance transfer rates, low interest rates, interest-free periods, frequent flyer points, overseas travel and medical insurance, cash back, shopping vouchers and rewards. If you are a frequent traveller, the ANZ Gold and Platinum cards offer overseas travel and medical insurance, as well as 55 interest-free days on purchases. ANZ also offers rewards cards that earn frequent flyer points with Qantas, and a debit card that can be used in conjunction with your transaction account. ATMs throughout the world accept credit cards issued by them, which means you can get a cash advance on your balance practically anywhere in the world, anytime that you need it.